Week # 4

Whew! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that putting our finances in order would ever cause as much stress as this is causing. Reworked the budget today, only to get a phone call after work stating that Jeremy's clutch went out, so there goes part of the EMERGENCY FUND! (An emergency fund is having 3-6 months of total living expenses put into a savings account!)

I wanted to cry, scream, shake my hands, and just GIVE UP! Why God, Why!?

Seriously, just try to get your finances in order, prepare yourself a budget, and just see how hard life "seems" to get! Life is financially awful right now- no if's/ands/buts/ors about it-- it's awful. We get a plan going then BAM! Here goes another something wrong! Get back going again- BAM another something goes wrong! It's like I blogged early on this summer "It's always something!"

So, as I start looking at ways to cut back this month to begin replinishing the emergency fund-- my stupid self started to consider less tithing...then I go to my devotional before bedtime and it is titled "Develop a Lifestyle of Giving"....and the last paragraph reads..... "If you need financial miracles, don'tbe afraid to obey God concerning your finances. Begin proving God's power to bless you by tithing and then giving even beyond that."

So- obviously less tithing is not the solution--- stupid me for even thinking such a thing!

Tonight's lesson was all about "Dumping Debt"-- OUCH! Look at these interesting myths:

Myth: If I loan money to a friend or relative, I will be HELPING them.
Truth: the relationship will be strained or DESTROYED.

Myth: Playing the lottery and other forms of gamblings will make me rich.
Truth: The lottery is a tax on the poor and on people who can't do math!

Myth: Car payments are a way of life, and you'll always have one.
Truth: Staying away from car payments by driving reliable used cars is what the typical millionaire does. That is HOW they became millionaries. (O-U-C-H!)

Myth: You can get a good deal on a NEW car.
Truth: A new car loses 70% of its value in the first four years!!!!
(THANKFUL I DIDN'T BY NEW!)

Myth: I'll make sure my teenager gets a credit card so he/she can learn to be responsible with money.
Truth: Teens are a huge target of credit card companies today!
(THANKS MOM FOR PERSUADING ME TO TRY OUT MY FIRST VISA AT AGE 18!)

Bottom Line: THE BORROWER IS SLAVE TO THE LENDER!' Read Proverbs 22:7 " The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender"

5 Steps to get out of debt:
1. Quit borrowing money.
2. You must SAVE money.
3. Prayer really works!
4. Sell something.
5. Take a part-time job or overtime temporarily!

#2 in the Baby Step Process: Pay off all debts using the debt snowball! (I created this two years ago and began working on this- double O-U-C-H!) If you don't know Dave Ramsey, don't care about his class, the one thing I HIGHLY recommend is creating yourself a debt snowball and working it off. We are kicking into "gazelle" mode (inside joke from class video) and it's time to get debt free! Can we do it? YES WE CAN! We can live like no one else now, so later we can LIVE like no one else!

"Owe no one anything except to love one another." Romans 13:8